1839 amistad slave revolt pdf

Spain pressed for the return of the ship and its cargo, including the africans. Two spanish plantation owners, pedro montes and jose ruiz, purchased 53 africans and put them aboard. It became renowned in july 1839 for a slave revolt by mende captives, who had been captured by portuguese slave hunters in sierra leone in violation of all extant treaties and brought to cuba. On a moonless night, after four days at sea, the captive africans rose up, killed the captain, and seized control of the ship. It became renowned in july 1839 for a slave revolt by mende captives, who had been captured by portuguese slave hunters in sierra leone in violation of all. Amistad, cuba, mende tribe, sengbe pieh today is the 175th anniversary of the amistad revolt. Spanish for friendship was a 19thcentury twomasted schooner, owned by a spaniard living in cuba.

Two spaniards, don pedro montez and don jose ruiz, purchased 53 of the captives members of the mende people in havana and loaded them aboard the schooner amistad for a trip to a nearby. Navy vessel, abolitionists filed a court case to free the africans. Includes provision that international slave trade would end within 20 years. In 1839, fiftythree african captives, illegally sold into slavery and being transported off. An often over looked steven spielberg film, with powerful imagery and moving sequences. This work of nonfiction tells the whole story of the 1839 amistad rebellion, from the capture of the leader cinque in africa to the middle passage to cuba. The amistad connecticut history a cthumanities project.

The saga of a saue revolt and its impact on american abolition, law, and diplomacy. The amistad rebellion involved 53 african slaves, who had been abducted from sierra leone by spanish slavers who shipped their cargo to cuba. The amistad slave rebellion, 175 years ago history. Iyunolu folayan osagie is a native of sierra leone, from where the. Sengbe pieh cinque is kidnapped and sold into slavery. After slaves revolted and took control of the amistad in 1839, americans. Political, economic, and social maturation slaves involved in the 1839 amistad mutiny gripped connecticut and the country.

Iyunolu folayan osagie is a native of sierra leone, from where the amistads cargo of slaves originated. The amistad case 2 it moved me, and i admire it a great deal. The incident began in february 1839 when portuguese slave hunters illegally seized 53 africans in sierra leone, a british colony, whom they intended to sell in the spanish colony of cuba. Setting context 17th century virginia tobacco plantation. This movie is a fictionalized account of the 1839 revolt by illegally enslaved africans aboard the spanish ship, le amistad. The slaves stormed the deck, killing the captain and the cook. Throughout history, slave revolts were very common on ships. Amistad amistad amistad is a recreation of the true story.

Iyunolu folayan osagie is a native of sierra leone. Spielberg does a great job in recreating the amistad revolt that spurred a series of trials beginning in the lower courts of. From journalism and lectures to drama, visual art, and the spielberg film, this study ranges across the varied cultural reactions. Slave ships during the 15th century through the 19th century became the arenas of fighting spirits and strong will for. Many of the captives on the slave ship were from the mende region of west africa, an area later. On june 28, 1839, the spanish slave schooner amistad set sail from havana on a routine delivery of human cargo. The amistad was a spanish slavetrading ship that was transporting a group of recently kidnapped. Memory, slavery, and the politics of identity in the united states and sierra leone iyunolu folayan osagie from journalism and lectures to drama, visual art, and the spielberg film, this study ranges across the varied cultural reactionsin america and sierra leoneengendered by the 1839 amistad slave ship revolt. In 1839, a group of slaves being transported from cuba mutinied, killing the amistads captain and seizing the ship. Amistad mutiny, july 2, 1839, slave rebellion that took place on the slave ship amistad near the coast of cuba and had important political and legal repercussions in the american abolition movement. Talladega college we will first read about question 09 from the uscis m638 quick civics lesson. T his essay explores the amistad rebellion of 1839, in which fiftythree africans seized a slave schooner, sailed it to long island, new york, made an alliance with american abolitionists, and won their freedom in a protracted legal battle. Pdf this essay explores the amistad rebellion of 1839, in which fiftythree africans seized a slave schooner, sailed it to long island, new.

It began in havana in june 1839 with the purchase of fiftythree new arrivals. The mutineers were captured and tried in the united states, and a surprising victory for the. The revolt took place on the morning of july 2nd, 1839. The two cubans demanded the return of their supposedly. In february of 1839, portuguese slave hunters abducted a large group of africans from sierra leone and shipped them to havana, cuba, a center for the slave trade. Amistad mutiny north americanafrican history britannica. During the past decade, with the fires of revolution well banked, it has. In february and march of 1839, the 53 africans who would later find themselves on the amistad arrived at blancos slave depot, known as lomboko.

Amistad 1998 the amistad revolt in january 1839, 53 african natives were kidnapped from eastern africa and sold into the spanish slave trade. Representing slavery, revolt, and freedom in america, 1839 and 1997 frederick dalzell amistad. A supreme court justice who reads the amistad decision note that harry blackmun, who plays story in this film, was in fact a real supreme court justice from 1970 to 1994. The saga of a slave revolt and its impact on american. Asking how and why the rebels succeeded, it emphasizes the african background and experience, as well as the fictive kinship that grew out of many. Amistad is the name of a slave ship traveling from cuba to the u.

The african origins of the amistad rebellion, 1839. Insurrections in the atlantic hemisphere were rare, and they typically left. Instead of sailing back to africa the ship ended off long island. The saga of a slave revolt and its impact on american abolition, law, and diplomacy in 1987. In 1839, slaves aboard a ship called the amistad revolted to secure their freedom while being transported from one cuban port to another.

The spanish schooner amistad, on the 27th day of june, 1839, cleared out from havana, in cuba, for puerto principe, in the same island, having on board captain ferrer, and ruiz and montez, spanish. The amistads story began in 1839 when slave hunters captured large numbers of native africans near mendeland in presentday sierre leone. Sengbe pieh, called joseph cinque by his spanish captors, was the slave aboard the amistad who led the revolt. The story is wellbalanced between seeing and feeling, and that the language is apt and telling. They ordered the remaining crew to take them back to africa, but. Appeal from the circuit court of the united states for the district of connecticut syllabus. With morgan freeman, anthony hopkins, djimon hounsou, and matthew mcconaughey. In 1839 a portuguese slave trader purchased a cargo of about 50 kidnapped african natives from a spaniard involved in the slave trade on the guinea coast of west africa.

Plot summary this film is based on a true story, that took place in 1839. Amistad, was designated connecticuts state flagship and tall ship. Their leader was sengbe pieh, a young mende man, but popularly known in united states history as joseph cinque. Traces the 1839 revolt of africans aboard the slave ship amistad, their apprehension, and long trial which ended in their acquittal by the supreme court. Two spanish plantation owners, don jose ruiz and don. Full text of amistad slave revolt documents see other formats amistaddocuments. In a case closely watched by the american public, the u. This abduction violated all of the treaties then in existence. Produced by steven spiel berg, debbie allen, and colin wilson. Aboard the spanish ship were a group of africans who had been captured and sold illegally as slaves in cuba. The amistad slave revolt and american abolition by karen. Pdf the african origins of the amistad rebellion, 1839. The amistad slaves on trial, 1840 detail, oil on canvas, 1939. The court moved to the amistad, where antonio, a slave owned by the slain captain of the schooner, testi.

The constitution of 1818 granted suffrage to men with certain property qualifications, but womens suffrage came only. This volume presents the first fullscale treatment of the only instance in history where african blacks, seized by slave dealers, won their freedom and returned home. In the spring of 1839, slave traders in the west african port of lomboko transported more than 500 enslaved africans to spanishruled cuba. The amistad slave ship revolt occured off the coast of cuba on july 2, 1839.

It has an all star cast but is fairly slow moving and focuses on the court room drama rather than the initial revolt and it does include a visually powerful sequence depicting the initial crossing from africa on the portuguese slave ship. Cape coast castle, where enslaved africans were held and sent. Oil painting of the amistad 18391841 the mende are kidnapped from africa, sold into slavery in cuba, and eventu. The amistad slave revolt and american abolition paperback february 1, 1997.

Asking how and why the rebels succeeded, it emphasizes the african background and experience, as well as. From journalism and lectures to drama, visual art, and the spielberg film, this study ranges across the varied cultural reactionsin america and sierra leoneengendered by the 1839 amistad slave ship revolt. Summary and definition of the amistad slave ship revolt definition and summary. Amistad revolted to secure their freedom while being transported from one cuban port to another. The amistad slave revolt and american abolition book.

African origins of the amistad rebellion, 1839 3 unlike the large slave ships, the amistad did not have a lower deck, where the enslaved would be jammed together over night and in bad weather. It is carrying a cargo of africans who have been sold into slavery in cuba, taken on. You may have seen the movie amistad 1997 directed by steven spielberg. Posted july 2nd, 2014 by james dewolf perry category. In the spring of 1839, slave traders in the west african port of lomboko. Historical l an egacy sierra lof eone and theunited states arthur abby raham. The slaves had been kidnapped mostly from the neighborhood of the colony of sierra leone and sold to spanish. View notes amistad from art and dr 3232421up at uni. They were then placed aboard a spanish slave ship bound for havana, cuba. Story of the play in 1839, african slaves being transported by the cuban schooner, amistad, were inspired by their. These captives were sent to havana, cuba to be sold into slavery.